Afterword
The author was inspired by the number of case studies he came across while writing this book that demonstrated how companies, organizations, and people were able to recover from setbacks.
The first reaction of most people is that a brand is sunk, and it should be abandoned and written off as unsalvageable - but consider the way that many have been revived from some of the worst circumstances before making the decision to do so.
Also, accept that problems are inevitable. Do you best, but something will go wrong - and you should have a plan in place to deal with problems that arise, which is less dramatic than simply running away.
Anyone who succeeds is going to be under constant assault by others who, for whatever reason, seek any opportunity to drag it down. Chances are most brands deal with minor problems constantly, and have the strength to pull through. And much of what you do in building a brand means building something that will withstand the rabble-rousers. Chances are, it does so.
Seen in that way, a brand in crisis is merely facing more pressure than it does on every other day - and the difference between a brand that will stand and one that will fall is not in the volume or number of its critics, but in the dedication of its stewards to protect and defend the brand they have built. Said another way, a brand never fails a company, but a company fails a brand.
While the present book has given the reader some knowledge of what can be done, and a bit of inspiration by demonstrating how others have done so, it ultimately comes down to courage and perseverance. If you have it, you'll make it through, no matter how bad it may seem to get.